Shot of a Gun
by CaseyNovak16
Summary: A seemingly normal case, turns deadly when Sharon Raydor is shot. Emotions will run high, limits will be tested, and is a there more to one professional relationship than meets the eye? Read to find out. And as always reviews are extremely appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

It had been just like any other normal day for the LAPD Major Crimes Unit, well if normal is what you'd call any day in Major Crimes. Flynn had been the first one to get the feeling that something wasn't right at the warehouse, and then he saw it out of the corner of his eye, something glinting in the sunshine on the roof of the building across the street, but his reaction was about a second too late. Shar… was all he got out before a bullet sent Captain Sharon Raydor collapsing onto the ground. "Sharon" he yelled out, running to her, not even caring about the shooter taking him out as well. But the only thing that the shooter was interested in was making a clean getaway, before the rest of her squad reemerged from inside the warehouse. Andy bent down and cradled her head in his arms. "Sharon, talk to me… Sharon" he pleaded. At this point, Provenza, Sykes, Tao, and Sanchez came rushing out of the warehouse. At noticing Andy bent down a few yards ahead of them, they knew that something was immediately wrong. "Flynn, what the hell happened?" exclaimed Provenza running toward him, and then he got close enough to see Raydor on the ground, bleeding profusely from the abdomen. Flynn was too preoccupied with Sharon, that it was as if he hadn't heard Provenza speaking to him. He had found the wound and was applying pressure on it with his suit jacket. "Oh my God!" exclaimed Provenza. "Raydor's down," he yelled to the others who came running towards them. He pulled out his radio "This is Lieutenant Lou Provenza, I need a bus at 1065 Jenson Rd. I have an officer down, gunshot wound to the abdomen, requesting immediate assistance" he said. "Copy that lieutenant, we'll have someone in route momentarily" said the dispatcher on the other end of the line. "Sharon, come on stay with me" pleaded Flynn to the semi- conscious Raydor. "An..nd..Y" she managed in a raspy voice. "Yeah, I'm right here, now you just stay with me okay, a bus will be here soon" he said authoritative, yet caring at the same time. She started to close her eyes. "No…No…No, Sharon, don't you dare die on me, you hear me" he said patting her cheek, half crying now, not caring who saw him. Her eyes flickered open. "A...n...dy, I'm…s..o.. cold..." she murmured, barely above a whisper. She started to cough up blood. "Sharon…. Sharon…." he yelled. He got no response this time. Just then they could hear the wail of the sirens from the rapidly approaching ambulance. Then they could see the flashing lights as the ambulance pulled into the lot. The EMTs quickly rushed over with a gurney. "Lieutenant, we'll take it from here" said the female EMT. Andy just stayed there motionless, his hands still pressing his now blood-drenched jacket to the gaping wound in Sharon's abdomen. "Flynn, you need to move, and let them do their job" said Provenza. Provenza could see that he was not gonna just move away, and he didn't have time to argue with him, so he started to pull him back, but it took him, Tao, and Sanchez to hold him back, as the paramedics checked Sharon's vitals and loaded her onto the gurney. "Let's move, she's fading fast" yelled the female paramedic to the other as they whisked Sharon towards the awaiting ambulance. "No, let me go" yelled Flynn, struggling to get out of their grasps. "Flynn, Flynn" said Provenza loudly trying to get him to calm down. "Let me go Louie," he reiterated angrily. "Listen to me Andy, It's not gonna do any good for you to go with her, you'll just be in the way, you need to let them take care of her, okay" said Provenza. Even though andy didn't want to admit it to himself, he knew that Provenza was right. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Oh my God, someone needs to call Rusty" said Flynn. Flynn started to pull out his phone, but Provenza took it from him. "Let me do it" said Provenza. He dialed Rusty's cell number. "Hello" came the voice on the other end. "Rusty, it's Lieutenant Provenza" said Provenza. "Lieutenant is something wrong?" asked Rusty nervously, knowing that a call from Provenza meant that something was definitely up. "Rusty, something's happened" said Provenza trying to break the news as lightly as possible. "What?" asked Rusty? "Listen kid, Sharon's been shot, she's on her way Cedars" said Provenza. For a moment, there was silence on the other end. "Rusty" said Provenza. "How the hell did this happen, is she gonna be okay" said Rusty erratically and tearing up. "I don't know, Rusty, I'm not gonna lie to you though, it looked pretty bad" said Provenza. Provenza could hear rusty panicking on the other end of the line. "Listen to me kid, you gotta calm down okay, I'm gonna come pick you up" said Provenza. "Okay" said Rusty. "I'll be there soon" said Provenza, and then he hung up. He handed the phone back to Andy. "Tao, Sanchez, Sykes, you guys go with Flynn to the hospital, I'm going to go pick up Rusty from school, I'll meet you there" said Provenza. With that they all got in their cars and headed off to their respective destinations.


	2. Tears and Rain

Provenza raced through the streets of L.A. until he arrived at Rusty's school. As soon as Rusty spied the

car he grabbed up his backpack, rushed over, and got in. Provenza could tell that he had been crying.

Neither said a word to each other, as they raced off towards the hospital. Provenza had barely slid the car into the parking space, before Rusty flung the door open, jumped out, and took off running towards the entrance. Provenza hurriedly turned off the car, got out, and rushed after Rusty as fast as he could.

"Rusty, wait up kid" he said yelling out to him, but Rusty wasn't paying any attention, and had already gone inside. He ran up to the front desk.

"Sharon Raydor, Captain Sharon Raydor, I need to know where she is" said Rusty apprehensively.

"Young man, just calm down okay" said the nurse.

"No, I will not calm down, I need to know where my mom is?" yelled Rusty.

Provenza had just come in and had heard Rusty refer to Sharon as his mom. He knew that she and the kid were very close, and yes she was his legal guardian for the time being, but he had never heard Rusty refer to Sharon Raydor as his mother. He quickly walked over and intervened.

Provenza cleared his throat. "Excuse me" he said to the nurse.

"Yes, how can I help you?" she asked.

Provenza showed the woman his badge. "I need any details you have on Captain Sharon Raydor" he said.

"Of course just let me check" she said as she walked over to her computer and began to type rapidly. "Here it is, they just brought her in about a half –hour ago, she's currently in surgery" the nurse responded.

"What floor?" inquired Provenza. "Second floor" replied the nurse.

Provenza motioned towards Rusty and they both got on the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors opened on the second floor, Rusty was off in a flash. He spotted the squad in the nearest waiting room. Sanchez was pacing back and forth; Sykes was leaned against a wall running her fingers through her nervously, Tao was sitting in one of the chairs just staring at the ground. And then Rusty's gaze fell on Flynn. His white shirt was covered in blood as were his hands and he was sitting silently with his head in his hands.

"Oh my God is that her blood?" he asked starting to tear up again.

This caused Flynn to look up.

Provenza reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away.

"I think I'm gonna be sick" said Rusty as he raced off towards the closest bathroom.

Provenza started to go after him, but Andy stopped him. "I got him" he said heading off after Rusty.

He tapped on the stall door. "Go away" said Rusty.

"Come on kid, open up" said Flynn.

"Nothing you can say to me will make me feel any better, so save your breath" said Rusty.

"Look, Rusty, I'm not gonna stand here and tell you that everything is gonna be okay, because I don't honestly know that it is, but sitting in here by yourself isn't gonna do you any good either" said Flynn, sympathetically.

Then Flynn heard movement on the other side of the stall door, as Rusty unlocked the door, and did the unthinkable. He opened the door and rushed out throwing his arms around Flynn, burying his face in his shirt, sobbing. Flynn was very surprised at this, but nevertheless wrapped his arms around Rusty and started to rub circles on his back.

"I can't lose her Lieutenant Flynn; she's the only one who's ever given a damn about me, It's not fair" said Rusty through his tears.

"I know kid, I know" replied Andy, trying to keep himself from getting choked up.

Rusty lifted his head for just a moment and looked up at Flynn. "How bad is it, really?" he asked

"Rusty" he sighed. "Just tell me" he demanded, backing away from Flynn and staring him straight in the face.

"She took a bullet in the abdomen; she lost a lot of blood Rusty" said Flynn. "Until we here from the doctor, I can't say for sure, it could go either way" said Flynn.

Rusty nodded in acknowledgement.

"Why don't we go back and wait with the others okay" said Flynn, motioning for Rusty to follow him.

"Okay" said Rusty trying to wipe the tears away, as he followed Lieutenant Flynn back to the waiting room.

They sat down in the available chairs. No sooner than they had sat down they heard the click of heels coming their way. They looked up to see former Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, walking towards them.

Andy was really surprised to see her. He walked toward her to greet her. She wrapped him in a hug.

"Andy, I came as soon as I heard, how is she?" asked Brenda.

He just shook his head. "We don't know yet, she's still in surgery" replied Andy.

"Well Damnit, how did this happen Andy?" asked Brenda.

"We were working a case, out chasing a lead, Sharon and I stayed to check the perimeter, while the rest of the team went through the warehouse. I started to get the feeling that something wasn't right, like we were on some sort of wild goose chase. That's when I noticed a glint coming from the roof of the building across the street. "I tried….God…. I tried to warn her, but she went down before I even got her name out" said Flynn starting to break down, but trying to force himself not to in front of his former boss.

Brenda knew that Andy probably blamed himself for what happened.

"Andy I know what you're thinking and it wasn't your fault" she said empathetically.

"Oh, really, you sure about that Chief, cause it seems to me that if I would have noticed the shooter a little quicker, Sharon Raydor wouldn't have been bleeding out on the concrete, she wouldn't be fighting for her life, and we wouldn't be here having this conversation right now, so you tell me how it's not my fault, go ahead, I'm all ears" he said angrily.

At this point everyone was staring at them, including Rusty.

Brenda was taken aback. "Andy I…" she began, but he stopped her.

"Please, just don't okay" he said holding his hand up.

Brenda took the hint and went and sat in the empty chair beside Rusty.

"Brenda, you came" he said glad to see her.

"Of course I did she said smiling encouragingly and placing her hand on top of his.

Provenza went over to talk to Flynn. "Flynn you should probably go home and change, and we should get your clothes into evidence.

"Louie, I can't just leave right now" replied Flynn.

"Andy, none of us are going anywhere right now, we'll let you know when we hear anything" said Provenza.

"Look, I'm staying, I'll go and change after we find out her condition" said Andy stubbornly.

"Alright" replied Provenza, presumably defeated.

They all stayed in their respective spots for hours and none said a word. Everyone looked up when they heard footsteps coming towards them. An exhausted looking, brunette woman in scrubs was heading there way.

"Sharon Raydor" she said.

Everyone stood up, Rusty squeezed Brenda's hand.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Mason, Are you the family?" she said.

"We work with Captain Raydor, I'm Lieutenant Andy Flynn" Andy responded. The doctor shook his hand.

"How is she?" asked Andy, afraid of what the answer might be.

The doctor sighed.

"Just give it to us straight, please" said Andy, somewhat perturbed.

"She made it through surgery, but it's a miracle, she went into cardiac arrest twice, and we almost lost her; She's stable for now, but still in critical condition. The bullet lacerated her small intestine and did minor damage to the pancreas, and she's lost a lot of blood and is going to need a transfusion" Said Doctor Mason.

Brenda was holding Rusty closely, as he was starting to break down again.

"Do you know her blood type?" asked Doctor Mason.

Everybody just looked at each other for an answer. Then Andy spoke up.

"It's B positive" said Andy, as everyone stared at him with bewilderment.

"Are any of you B positive?" asked the doctor.

"I am, I'll do it" said Andy. All eyes were on him again.

"Are you sure you're up to it Lieutenant?" asked the doctor.

"Yes, I'm very up to it, I want to do this" said Andy.

"Alright then, I'll get you the necessary paperwork to fill out and then we'll get started, I'll come and get you when I need you" said Doctor Mason.

"I'll be waiting" replied Andy. With that, the doctor headed off and left Andy and the others to themselves once again.


	3. Somebody's Crying

The doctor came back a few minutes later to hand Andy some forms to fill out. He hurriedly looked over them, signed them, and handed them back to her.

"Alright, if you'll follow me lieutenant, we'll get everything set up" said the doctor.

Andy followed the doctor off down the hall.

Provenza started to address the others. "Okay, Sykes, Sanchez, I want you two to go back to the scene, and take Buzz with you, check every nook and every cranny, and document everything, I wanna nail this guy's ass to the wall, everything gets done, by the book, do you understand" said Provenza.

"Yes sir" replied Sykes.

"What are you waiting for, go" barked Provenza. With that, Sykes and Sanchez headed out.

"Mike I want you to call Raydor's kids and let them know what happened" said Provenza.

"On it" said Tao. "What about her husband?" he asked.

"I think that would be overstepping our bounds a little Tao, just let her kids know and if they want to inform their father, that's their business" said Provenza.

"Alright" replied Tao, as he went off to make a phone call.

This left Provenza alone with Rusty and Brenda. "Chief, maybe you should take Rusty here to get something to eat and then take him home, it's gonna be a long night" said Provenza.

"Of course, I think that would be best, come on Rusty" said Brenda as she stood. "No way I'm not going anywhere" he shouted.

"Rusty" said Brenda taken aback.

"You heard me, I said I'm not going anywhere; I'm not leaving Sharon, I intend to be here when she wakes up" said Rusty.

Provenza stepped in, knowing full well how stubborn Rusty could be. "Rusty listen to me, I'm going to just give it to you straight, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, there's no telling when she'll wake up or even if she will, and I'm sorry but that's the truth" said Provenza.

By this point tears were welling up in Rusty's eyes.

"Aw, geez kid I'm sorry" said Provenza, instantly regretting what he just said.

Rusty turned and ran off down the hall.

"Geez, Chief, I didn't mean…" he said as she stopped him short.

"I know Lieutenant, I got him" said Brenda placing her hand on Provenza's shoulder, and then taking off after Rusty.

She found him outside sitting on a bench. "Mind if I join you?" she asked in that thick southern drawl, as only she could.

"It's a public bench, do what you want" replied Rusty, really just wanting to be left alone.

"Alright" she said, taking a seat beside him. "Rusty" she started.

"Look, Brenda, just save me the pep talk alright, because the last thing I need right now is false hope, okay" he said bitterly.

"Rusty, the last thing I wanna do is give you false hope, I only want to be here for you, if you need anything" said Brenda, putting her hand on his knee.

This prompted him to look at her. "Look, I realize that Brenda, I don't mean to be defensive, I… I just… oh never mind, you couldn't possibly understand" said Rusty.

"Believe me Rusty, I do understand. It's really hard to lose someone you care about; I'm speaking from personal experience, and I really hope that it doesn't come to that with Sharon" said Brenda.

"Me too, because I don't know what I'd do without her" said Rusty.

"I know" said Brenda pulling him into a hug. "Now, I know you don't want to leave, but maybe we should go get a bite to eat and clear our heads a little" said Brenda.

"Alright, but can we make it fast" said Rusty

"Sure" replied Brenda. She handed Rusty her keys. "Why don't you go wait in the car and I'll let Lieutenant Provenza know that were leaving" said Brenda.

With that, Rusty headed off toward Brenda's car, and Brenda pulled out her phone and proceeded to call Provenza, in order to save her a trip back up to the second floor of the hospital.

"Provenza" he answered.

"Lieutenant, I'm going to take Rusty for a bite to eat, we shouldn't be too long, call me if anything changes" she said.

"Sure thing Chief" replied Provenza.

Brenda put away her phone and headed of towards her car.

Elsewhere, a phone call was being made. "Is it done" asked Mr. S.

"Well, I... I hit her, but I don't know if she's dead" said the shooter.

"You Incompetent Moron I hired you because you're supposed to be the best of the best, I'm not paying you for maybes; I want results. You said she'd be taken care of and I expect you to finish the job, and that goes for that kid and Brenda Johnson as well. Don't call me again until you've finished your mission, is that understood" replied Mr. S. angrily.

"Yes sir, Mr. S." said the shooter.

"Good" said Mr. S., who then hung up.

The shooter then went off to prepare for his next move.

_I bet you are all wondering who this mysterious Mr. S. is, and hate to keep you wondering, but if you'll continue to follow this story, you will find out! Thanks for all the reviews so far everyone! Until the next Chapter…_


	4. Wrecking Ball

"So where would you like to eat?" asked Brenda, breaking the silence as they drove along.

Rusty just shrugged. "It doesn't matter" said Rusty.

"Ok, I know this great little place, not too far from here" she replied.

About five minutes later they were pulling up to a small diner. Brenda got out first, followed by Rusty.

Then they sat down and Brenda ordered a salad and a sweet tea, and ordered Rusty a burger, fries, and a coke.

Back at the hospital, Provenza was waiting on Flynn to get done. At about that time, the doctor reemerged from behind the double doors, with a bag in hand. "Lieutenant Provenza, I have something for you" she said offering him a plastic bag with a disfigured looking bullet in it.  
"This is the bullet we recovered from the wound in Captain Raydor's abdomen" said the doctor.

Provenza slipped a latex glove on and pulled the bullet from out of the bag. As soon as he had it in his hand and got a closer look at it, he knew exactly what it was. "Thank you doctor" said Provenza.

"No problem; Lieutenant Flynn should be out momentarily" she replied, and then turned and made her way down the hall.

Provenza put the bullet back in the evidence bag, and proceeded to call Sykes, who was at the crime scene.

"Sykes" she answered.

"Amy, listen, the bullet that they pulled out of the Captain was a Black Talon, better known as a cop killer bullet" said Provenza.

"Oh my God, no wonder it went through her Kevlar" said Amy.

"With a bullet of this caliber and special performance, this wasn't just a random occurrence, this was a hit, somebody wanted Sharon Raydor dead, and it's a miracle that she's not" replied Provenza. "I'm just about to get Flynn and head down to ballistics, you guys finish up there and meet me back in the murder room" said Provenza.

"Will do Lieutenant" replied Amy. She hung up and slid her phone back into her pocket. "Okay everyone listen up that was Lieutenant Provenza, the bullet they recovered from the Captain's wound was a Black Talon" announced Amy.

"So are we thinking this was a hit?" inquired Julio.

"Provenza believes so, and I'd have to concur" said Amy.

"Now we just need the who and why" said Julio.

"Precisely, the Lieutenant wants everyone back at the murder room, as soon as were done here" said Amy.

Flynn finished giving blood, and then Provenza took him by his house to change his clothes. Against Provenza's insistence, that he should stay home, Flynn had decided that he was going with him down to Ballistics. Provenza put Flynn's bloody clothes into an evidence bag, and the headed off to their destination.

Once there, Provenza handed the bullet over to the ballistics expert. "What can you tell me about this bullet?" asked Provenza.

" Well it's definitely a Black Talon, but I'm assuming you probably knew that already; It looks like it's from a .308 Winchester, most commonly used in big-game hunting, civilian target shooting, military sniping, and police sharpshooting" replied Jessica.

"What case is it from?" she asked.

"So no one's told you; Captain Raydor was shot earlier today, she's in critical condition; This was the bullet they recovered from her wound" said Provenza.

"Oh my God, that's awful" said Jessica.

"Can you run the bullet through IBIS for us and see if it is linked to any other shootings?" asked Provenza.

"Sure, it'll be my top priority; It may take a while though, I'll call you if I get something" she replied.

"Thanks" he and Flynn replied simultaneously. Then they headed to the Murder Room to meet up with the rest of the team.

"So what have we got?" asked Provenza.

"Well sir, I'm pretty confident that you're not gonna like that answer" replied Sykes.

"And why is that Sykes" asked Provenza.

At that point Julio chimed in. "Sir, this guy is really good, the only thing we managed to find was a torn piece of cloth."

Provenza kept his tone calm and encouraging. "Well at least it's a start" said Provenza. "We have Jessica running the bullet through IBIS as we speak, maybe we'll get lucky and it'll get a hit; In the meantime I want everyone to go through all of Raydor's past cases" said Provenza.

"Okay, how far back do you want us to go?" asked Sykes.

"As far back as you have to" replied Provenza.

"Will do sir" she replied. They sat there for a couple of hours going through all of Sharon's past case files.

"So anybody got anything?" asked Flynn.

"More than a few disgruntled officers, and the usual wackjob or two with a grudge" said Julio.

"Anybody that really stands out to you?" asked Provenza.

"Not really, I mean none of them seem vengeful or calculated enough to perform a hit like this" said Sykes.

At that moment, Provenzas phone rang. "Provenza" he answered.

"Lieutenant, this is Jessica, it's your lucky day, I got a hit off your bullet" said Jessica.

"Alright, Flynn and I will be right down, thanks" said Provenza.

"Flynn, let's go, Jessica got a hit in IBIS" said Provenza.

Flynn put down the file that he was looking through, jumped up, and followed Provenza out.

"Alright so I got a hit from another case from 5 years ago" said Jessica.

"What was the case?" asked Provenza.

"Just a sec" said Jessica pulling it back up on the monitors. A woman and a man were shot and killed with a Winchester .308" she said.

"Did they ever make an arrest?" asked Flynn.

"Yes, they arrested a Derrick Phelps, but he was never convicted" said Jessica.

"And why the hell not? "asked Provenza.

"Says here that the case was thrown out due to lack of evidence, and get this Lieutenant, Phelps was a Sargent in the U.S. Army, but was discharged because of injury" Jessica continued.

"Who were the victims in this particular case, and was it one of Major Crimes'?" asked Flynn.

"Phelps was accused of killing his wife Serena Phelps, and a Mr. Jamie Larson, who was believed to have been the wife's lover; according to this, it wasn't one of Major Crimes cases" replied Jessica.

"Check and see if there's any connection to Raydor" said Provenza.

"Sorry Lieutenant, no dice" said Jessica.

"Dammit, just another dead end" Flynn uttered angrily.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, I'll keep looking to see if I can dig up anything else on this guy" said Jessica.

"Thanks" said Provenza.

"No problem, anything I can do to help you get your guy" said Jessica.

Provenza gave her a nod. His phone started to ring. He pulled it out and answered it. " Yes, Sykes what is it?" asked Provenza.

"Sir, DDA Rios just showed up" replied Sykes.

"Damn, that can't be good, Flynn and I are headed back that way now" he said.

"Lietenant, how'd you make out in Ballistics?" asked Sykes.

"I'll brief everyone once I get back and deal with our Rios problem" said Provenza.

"Of course sir" said Sykes.

Provenza then hung up his phone, and turned to Flynn. "That was Sykes, it appears we have an unwanted guest back at the Murder Room" said Provenza. "Rios just showed up there" he continued.

"What could she possibly want?" asked Flynn.

"I don't know, but knowing that woman whatever it is, it's not good; Come on let's get back there" said Provenza. Then he and Flynn made their way back to the Murder Room.

"Emma, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit to our humble abode" said Provenza cynically.

"Well, Lieutenant I'm here because Captain Raydor was shot…" said Emma as Provenza cut her off.

"Well Emma, while I'm sure we all appreciate your sympathy, I really don't see how it is of any concern to you" said Provenza.

"First off Lieutenant, let me just say that I don't appreciate your tone, and I am getting really sick and tired of the grief this squad is giving me" said Emma angrily. Provenza started to say something, but she wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. " Believe it or not Lieutenant, I am not some wet behind the ears rookie that you can just pull rank on whenever you want to; I am the Deputy District Attorney of Los Angeles, and I demand some respect. I will not run away like a whipped bitch with my tail between my legs because of your cynical and childish behavior" she went on.

"Are you quite finished, because if you are, we need to get back to work on a very important case" replied Provenza, who was not phased one bit bye Emma's little outburst.

"No Lieutenant, I'm not" said Emma.

"Well then, by all means, you have the floor counselor" said Provenza, motioning with his arms.

"Thank you Lieutenant" said Emma rather insincerely.

"As you all know, I have tried to persuade Captain Raydor to give up temporary guardianship of Rusty, both in the interest of the Stroh case, and also for his safety" said Emma.

"Yes we're definitely aware DDA Rios, but as the Captain has already told you, there is no way in hell that that's going to happen. Rusty is exactly where he needs to be, and contrary to my first perceptions of the woman, I will say this for her, she loves that kid and come hell or high water, she would protect him to the best of her abilities. Rusty is safer there with her than he could ever possibly be with someone else, plus Sharon has us to back her up" said Provenza.

"That was really touching Lieutenant, but Captain Raydor can't even protect herself, I mean look where she is now, she let herself get shot, does that sound like she's capable of protecting Rusty" said Emma.

By this point Flynn was enraged. " You Bitch, she didn't let herself get shot, she had no control over the situation, she's laying in a hospital bed fighting for her life, and I'm not just gonna stand idly by and let you talk about her that way" yelled Flynn, angrily.

Provenza had his arm extended in front of Flynn in order to keep him from getting too close to Emma.

"Isn't that sweet, who died and made you her personal body guard Lieutenant?" asked Emma.

She chuckled. "Oh wait, I know, you must be sleeping with her" she said.

"That's it" said Flynn. Provenza and Sanchez had to hold him back to keep him from getting in Emma's face.

"I got this, Andy" Provenza said, reassuring him.

"I think you've overstayed your welcome Emma, there's the door, Lieutenant Tao will show you out" said Provenza.

"Ma'am" said Lieutenant Tao, as he began to escort her from the building.

"I know my way out, thank you Lieutenant" she said quite rudely. "This conversation is to be continued, this is far from over" said Emma as she walked out.


	5. Battlefield

"I'm outta her Louie, I'm going back to the hospital to check on Sharon" announced Flynn. "Alright, I'll hold down the fort here, call me if anything changes, and I'll let you know if we catch a break on the case" replied Provenza.

"Thanks, Louie" said Flynn.

"Andy, go" said Provenza patting him on the back.

With that Andy left to head back to the hospital.

….

"What, I told you not to call me until you had results, this better be good news" said Mr. S. in a perturbed voice.

"Listen, I spotted Johnson and the kid at a diner off of the highway, do you want me to move on it?" asked the shooter.

"Do you have ample cover, and can you get out clean?" asked Mr. S.

"Yeah, I can make it work" replied the shooter.

"Good, get it done, and don't forget you owe me, I own your ass" said Mr. S.

"Consider it done" replied the shooter, and then they both hung up their phones.

The shooter then got into position.

…..

"Well, Rusty, are you ready to go?" asked Brenda.

"Yeah" said Rusty.

"You barely touched your food" said Brenda.

"I'm just not that hungry" said Rusty.

"I understand, I'll just get them to put it in a to-go bag and you can eat it later if you feel like it" said Brenda.

Rusty nodded. Brenda was just putting a tip down on the table, when she happened to catch something out of the corner of her eye.

"Rusty get down!" she yelled shoving him to the ground. Then the windows shattered, as the booth that they had been previously seated in exploded with a hail of bullets.

The other few patrons in the diner went into panic mode.

"Brenda, what's going on" yelled Rusty over the noise.

"Rusty, stay down" yelled Brenda as she pulled out her weapon. Brenda pulled out her cell phone and slid it over to Rusty. "Rusty I need you to call for backup" said Brenda.

Rusty quickly dialed Lieutenant Flynn's number.

Flynn, who was already on his way back to the hospital, picked up. "Flynn" he answered.

"Lieutenant Flynn, It's Rusty, listen we need your help" said Rusty.

Noting the panic in Rusty's voice, and then hearing a gunshot ring out, Flynn jumped into action. "Rusty, what's going on, where are you at?" he asked.

"At some diner off the main highway, we're getting shot at Lieutenant" Rusty responded.

"Slow down kid, who's we?" asked Andy.

"Brenda, she's here with me" said Rusty. Then he looked over at Brenda only to notice that her white blouse was turning a deep shade of red. "Oh man, I think she got hit, Lieutenant please, hurry" Rusty pleaded.

"Okay kid, I need you to look around and see if you can spot the name of the diner, can you do that for me?" asked Andy.

"Yeah" replied Rusty. He looked around desperately, until his eyes fell upon a napkin. He picked it up. "The name of the diner is Betty's" said Rusty.

"I know where that is, I'll get there as fast as I can, keep the line open, alright" said Andy.

"Alright" said Rusty.

Flynn turned the sirens on and sped off to help Rusty.

Rusty layed the phone down, and turned his attention to Brenda. "Brenda you're bleeding" said Rusty.

"Oh is that what that red stuff is" said Brenda.

"Are you hit?" asked Rusty

"It's just a flesh wound Rusty, I'll be fine" she assured him, while wincing in pain.

"Don't lie to me Brenda, I can tell you're in a lot of pain" said Rusty.

"Rusty don't worry about me, now did you get ahold of anybody?" asked Brenda.

"Yeah, Lieutenant Flynn, he's on his way right now" said Rusty.

"Good, now I need you to listen to me very carefully; I need you to grab that knife" said Brenda.

"Okay" said Rusty, a bit confused, as he grabbed the knife off of the table.

"What do I need a knife for? asked Rusty. "It's not gonna help me fight a guy with a gun" said Rusty.

"I need you to get the bullet out of my shoulder" Brenda replied.

Rusty looked at her in bewilderment. "You want me to do what?" he asked.

"I need you to dig the bullet out of my shoulder, Rusty" she reiterated.

"You're kidding right?" asked Rusty.

"Rusty, do I look like I'm kidding" she said, wincing in pain again and grabbing at her shoulder.

"Brenda, I…I can't, I'm not a doctor, I'm just a teenager" said Rusty, panicking.

"Yes you can Rusty, just do exactly as I tell you, and it should be a piece of cake, alright" said Brenda.

"Okay" Rusty said nervously.

"Alright, you'll have to rip a hole in my shirt where the bullet entered" said Brenda.

Rusty did as he was instructed. "Okay, now what?" Rusty asked.

"Now you'll have to pull the skin apart a little more" said Brenda.

"Are you serious, you want me to make the hole bigger?" asked Rusty.

"Rusty, trust me alright, It'll make it easier to get to the bullet" Brenda replied.

"Whatever you say" said Rusty. He pulled the skin around the wound back slightly.

Brenda bit her bottom lip from the pain. "Alright good" said Brenda reassuring him. "Now I need you to find something for me to bite down on" said Brenda.

"Like what?" asked Rusty?

"I don't know, just please find something" said Brenda.

"Ok…um" Rusty said. And then he thought to himself a minute, and removed his belt.

"How's this?" asked Rusty.

"Good, hand it to me" said Brenda, reaching out with her good arm. She put the belt in her mouth.

"Alright, now you need to dig the bullet out" instructed Brenda.

"Brenda, are you sure you want me to be doing this?" asked Rusty, nervously.

Brenda nodded.

"Alright, her goes nothing, just something else to add to my bucket list" said Rusty. He began to push the knife into the wound and then when he got deep enough, he started to dig the bullet out.

Brenda's eyes became wide with pain, she started to sweat a little, and bit down on the belt with great force.

Finally Rusty had the bullet in his hand, and sat it down on the table.

Brenda removed the belt from her mouth.

Rusty's hands were shaking somewhat. His hands had Brenda's blood all over them. He started to rub them on his pant legs vigorously.

At that moment, Rusty could hear the wail of sirens closing in. He breathed in a sigh of relief, when he saw Andy come flying through the door, followed by several patrol officers.

"Kid you okay?" asked Andy, kneeling down beside him and putting his hand on the boys shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm just a little shaken up, you need to check on her though, she got hit in the shoulder" he replied, pointing to Brenda.

Flynn turned his attention to Brenda, while the other officers secured the scene, calmed down the diner patrons, and took statements.

Brenda was slumped against the side of the booth, breathing heavily and sweating a little.

"Chief, how you doing there?" asked Flynn, concern prevalent in his voice.

"Oh, just peachy Lieutenant" she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Flynn proceeded to stop the blood seeping from her shoulder.

Brenda grunted in pain.

"Sorry Chief" said Flynn.

"How bad is it really Andy, because it hurts like a bitch" said Brenda.

"Well, you're not dead, so I'm assuming that's a good sign" replied Flynn, trying to insert a little light-hearted humor into the situation.

"Yes that's always a plus" said Brenda, trying to force a smile.

"An ambulance is on its way; oh there it is now" said Flynn, upon hearing the loud wailing of sirens.

The paramedics came rushing through the door, with a gurney.

"Sir, we'll take it from here" said one of the paramedics.

Andy was reluctant to move at first, but decided it was best if he did.

"Ma'am, can you tell me your name?" asked the female paramedic.

"Chie.." she stopped herself short, realizing that technically, she wasn't Chief Johnson anymore.

"Brenda Johnson" she replied.

"Alright, Brenda, we're going to move you now, okay" replied the female paramedic.

Brenda nodded.

The two paramedics carefully lifted Brenda onto the gurney, then one proceeded to put an oxygen mask on her, while the other checked her pulse and blood pressure. They loaded her into the ambulance and made their way to the hospital.

_**Author's Note: Sorry it's been awhile since my last update guys, been really busy, but I hope you guys are enjoying my story so far, thanks for your continued support, and lovely reviews!**_


	6. We Are Family

Andy had opted to remain at the scene, rather than ride along in the ambulance.

"Rusty, so what exactly happened here, kid?" asked Flynn.

"Brenda brought me here from the hospital to get something to eat; we we're getting ready to leave and she yelled at me to get down, the next thing I know, the window shatters and bullets are flying" replied Rusty.

"Anything else?" inquired Flynn.

"No, not really, I mean it all happened so fast" said Rusty.

"Alright, I'm gonna take you back to the squad room now" said Flynn.

"Lieutenant…" Rusty started.

"Call me Andy kid, we're practically family, the way you hang around all the time" he said jokingly.

"Okay, Andy, I'd really like to go back to the hospital, if it's ok with you; after the day I've had I just really wanna be as close to Sharon as possible" said Rusty.

"Sure kid, I was headed back there myself, but first I have to make a call" replied Andy.

"Provenza" answered the voice on the other end of the line.

"Louie, we have a situation" said Andy.

"What kind of situation?" asked Provenza.

"There's been another shooting" replied Flynn.

Provenza who was seated at his desk, put his phone on speaker and gathered everyone around.

"At Betty's Diner; The Chief and Rusty were shot at" said Andy.

"Dear God, were either of them hurt?" asked Provenza, fearing the worst.

"The kid's fine, just really shaken up, the chief took one in the shoulder, she's on her way to the hospital now" said Andy.

"How bad is it?" asked Provenza.

"I don't know the extent, she was conscious when they loaded her into the ambulance, so that's a plus" replied Flynn.

"Has anybody called Agent Howard?" asked Provenza.

"Shit; Louie, could you" said Andy.

"Say no more Andy, I'll inform him" replied Provenza.

"Ok, listen, I'm headed back to the hospital with Rusty" said Andy.

"Alright, we'll meet you there" said Provenza.

Provenza ended the call, and proceeded to address the group.

"Alright, Sykes I want you to go to the crime scene, and take Buzz with you, document everything" said Provenza. "Tao, Sanchez, you're with me; I'll meet you two at the car, I have to make a call to Agent Howard" he said.

"Agent Howard" came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Fritz, this is Lieutenant Provenza over at Major Crimes" said Provenza.

"Lieutenant, what can I do for you, do you need FBI assistance with a case?" asked Fritz.

"No, that's not why I called; It's about your wife Fritz" said Provenza.

"Brenda; did something happen?" asked Fritz, with fear prevalent in his voice.

"She was shot, Fritz" said Provenza.

"What; she's not…" asked Fritz, before Provenza cut him off.

"No, she took one in the shoulder, Flynn said she was conscious when the paramedics arrived at the scene, she's been taken to Cedars" explained Provenza.

"Thank you Lieutenant, I'll be there as soon as I can" said Fritz.

Provenza ended the call and headed to the hospital with Sanchez and Tao.

…...Meanwhile….

"You better have good news for me" came the angry voice on the other end of the line.

"Well… the thing is" the shooter started, nervously.

"Did you take them out or not?" asked Mr. S. raising his voice slightly.

"I know I hit Johnson, but I couldn't get a clear shot at the kid" explained the shooter.

"Dammit, you are useless" said Mr. S.

"Look, I am trying my best…." he started.

"I don't need trying, I need results and you're not getting them" said Mr. S.

"I promise you, I will get this done" said the shooter.

"Why should I believe you, you've already failed me twice" said Mr. S.

"Because, I always keep my word, when I say I'll get it done, then I will" replied the shooter.

" I shouldn't do this, but I'm giving you one more chance to redeem yourself, but lay low for now, I'll contact you with further instructions later" said Mr. S.

"Understood" replied the shooter, just before Mr. S. Hung up.

…At the Hospital…

"Rusty, why don't you sit here, and I'll find out about the Chief" said Andy.

Rusty sat down in one of the available waiting room chairs.

"Excuse me" said Andy to the nurse at the desk.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" she inquired.

"I was just hoping that you might be able to tell me the condition of a patient they just brought in" replied Andy.

"Of course, what's the name?" asked the nurse.

"Brenda Johnson" replied Andy.

"Just a moment" she said typing vigorously on her computer. "They just brought her in about 20 minutes ago, she's currently in surgery" finished the nurse.

"If you'll just have a seat over there in the waiting area, the doctor will be with you as soon as he's finished up" said the nurse.

"Thank you" said Andy, as he walked back over to Rusty.

"Anything?" asked Rusty.

"Not yet, they just brought her in, she's in surgery" replied Andy.

At that moment Fritz came running towards them. Provenza, Tao, and Sanchez, who had arrived at nearly the same time as Fritz, were close behind.

"Any word yet?" Fritz asked Andy.

"No, she's in surgery right now" said Andy.

Fritz put his hands on his head. "How did this happen Andy?" he asked.

"From what Rusty tells me, it sounds like they were both targeted; we don't have enough evidence to corroborate it, but two targeted sniper attacks in one day, on a police Captain, and the former Chief of Major Crimes, doesn't sound like a coincidence to me" said Andy.

"So you're telling me that you think the same person that shot Captain Raydor also shot Brenda?" asked Fritz.

"I do" said Flynn.

"If I may" said Provenza, cutting in. "Sykes and Buzz are at the scene right now, they should have some new information regarding the case when they return" said Provenza.

"Why don't you sit down Fritz, the doctor will be out to brief us as soon as he's finished" said Andy.

Without any argument, Fritz sat down, and they all sat and waited. About an hour later, the double doors opened and everyone was on their feet.

"Brenda Johnson?" he inquired.

Fritz was the first to speak up. "I'm her husband, how is she doctor" he asked.

"Surprisingly well, but the bullet did do some major damage the muscles and the tissue in her shoulder, so her left arm will be out of commission for a while, and she will be in a lot of pain, but I've prescribed her some painkillers for that. She's one lucky woman, a few more inches to the right and the bullet would've severed her Subclavian Artery" said the doctor.

"Can we see her?" asked Fritz.

"Yes, but only one of you, she in room 109" replied the doctor.

Fritz looked around at the others.

"Go" said Andy.

Fritz took off towards Brenda's room.

Any turned his attention to Tao.

"Tao, would you mind very much if Rusty stayed with you tonight?" asked Andy.

"No, of course not" replied Tao.

"Do you mind taken him with you now?" asked Andy.

Tao looked to Provenza for an acknowledgment.

Provenza nodded yes. "It's probably best" said Provenza.

At this point, Rusty chimed in. "No way, I don't want to go anywhere right now" he said with agitation prevalent in his voice.

"Rusty" said Andy, who was in no mood to argue with the kid.

"Okay I'll go, but can I please see Sharon before we go?" asked Rusty.

Flynn could see the determination and the concern in his eyes.

"Okay kid, let me find out what room she's in" said Andy. He walked back up to the nurses' station. "Excuse me" said Andy.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" she asked.

"Can you please tell me what room Sharon Raydor is in?" asked Andy.

Once again the nurse started typing on her computer. "She's in room 204 in ICU, but I'm afraid that only family can see her" replied the nurse.

"I understand that, but your definition and my definition of family seem to differ somewhat" said Andy. "You see that kid over there" he said nodding in the direction of Rusty. "His life has been complete hell and just when he finds a little bit of sunshine, in an instant everything changes." "Sharon Raydor was his ray of sunshine, she's is the only mother who's ever really been there for him, lord knows his real one was a real piece of work, his dad too, if you can even call him that." "To him, and to all of us, that woman is family, because we all care about her and would do pretty much anything for her; so I'm telling you right now, we may not be related by blood, but lady, we're the family you're gonna have to deal with." said Andy.

The Nurse just looked completely dumfounded, a look of shock prevalent on her face. "Of course sir, go right ahead" she replied.

"Thank you" said Andy. He walked back over to Rusty. "Come on kid" he said.

Rusty followed Andy past several rooms down a long corridor, until they reached room 204. Rusty slowly put his hand on the doorknob. His hand was shaking so much that Andy had to turn the knob and open the door.

They stepped inside the room, and all at once Rusty's emotions came crashing in like a tidal wave. It was all he could do to keep himself together and keep from crying again. He turned to Andy. "Lieu… I mean Andy, can I please have a moment alone with Sharon?" he asked.

"Sure kid, I'll be right outside" said Andy, who then stepped out.

Rusty just stood there motionless, looking at Sharon; the tears that he had been trying so hard to keep inside were now starting to seep through. It was killing him seeing the usually so strong Sharon Raydor, lying in a hospital bed, breathing from a tube, hooked up to all kinds of monitors, and the color of her skin being like that of a China doll. She just looked so fragile and it was breaking his heart. He slowly approached her bedside, pulled up a chair, and sat down. At first he was afraid that she was so fragile, if he touched her she might just shatter. He gently reached for her hand and held it. "I'm not entirely sure that you can hear me, but I'm gonna talk anyway, ok" he started. "You're gonna beat this, you have to, you hear me, you just have to, I forbid you to give up" he said, his whole body quivering and tears spilling from his eyes. "Now this is usually the part where you tell me, Rusty, everything's gonna be alright" he said. " I love you so much Sharon, please don't die on me, I just can't lose you" said Rusty, wiping his tears with his free hand.

Andy popped his head in. "Rusty, we really should get going, ok" he said.

"Yeah, just give me a minute" replied Rusty. "I gotta go now Sharon, but I'll be back, I promise" he said. He planted a small kiss on her cheek and then exited the room.

Andy could tell Rusty had been crying, but he didn't want to say the wrong thing, or force him to open up.

"You okay kid?" he asked, his voice the epitome of empathy.

"Yeah" was all he said.

Andy just nodded, not wanting to harp on the subject of Sharon's condition at the moment.

They met back up with Tao, and he took Rusty back to his house.


End file.
